1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for presenting augmented reality also to systems and methods for processing image data where to image data includes computer recognizable characters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Augmented reality systems are known. Augmented reality (“AR”) refers herein to a system that presents a live presentation (that includes at least a visual presentation) of a physical, real-world environment which presentation is augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as text data, sound or graphics. The AR presentation may be direct, like, for example, a user looks through a transparent screen with computer-generated graphic data superimposed on the screen. The AR presentation may be indirect, like, for example, when a visual presentation of a sporting event through a broadcast television has computer-generated score related data superimposed on the television display viewed by viewers geographically remote from the sporting event. AR presentations are not necessarily viewed by users at the same time the visual images are captured. AR presentations are not necessarily viewed in real time. As a simple example of this, the AR visual presentation may be in the form of a snapshot showing a single instant of time, but this snapshot may be reviewed for a relatively long period of time by a user. AR technology enhances one's perception of reality. AR technology is different than virtual reality (“VR”) because VR technology replaces the real world with a simulated one. AR augmentation data is conventionally in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. Advanced AR technology includes additions such as computer vision and object recognition. Through AR technology, the surrounding real world of the user may be made more interactive and/or meaningful.
There is a known AR system called TranslatAR that can detect text in a real world image (such as a video frame) and translate the text from its native language (if known) and into some other language selected by the user. The translation is then superimposed over the real world image of the characters on the real world image of the text in the image (for example, the image of a sign) as augmented data to form the AR visual presentation. In this way, if a user knows that the signs in her area are in Chinese, but the user wants English language translations, then the user can set the TranslatAR system to translate the local signs from Chinese to English, for example.